The present application claims priority to Application No. 102 09 186.2, filed in the Federal Republic of Germany on Mar. 4, 2002, which is expressly incorporated herein in its entirety by reference thereto.
The present invention relates a vehicle seat.
A vehicle seat is described in European Published Patent Application No. 0 539 444. This vehicle seat has a footrest that is foldable from a stowed position located under the seat into a utilization position. The footrest has a resting surface, subdivided into several subsections, for a seat occupant""s lower legs. Individual sections of this surface can be raised in order to obtain a resting surface for supporting the feet. This footrest requires a relatively large amount of space in the stowed position, however. In addition, the support for the seat occupant is uncomfortable and cumbersome to operate.
German Utility Model No. G 92 00 777.5 describes a bus seat having a footrest. The footrest is articulated on the seat cushion of the bus seat by a parallelogram arm linkage acted upon by a gas spring. By the parallelogram arm linkage, the footrest can be folded from a stowed position located beneath the seat cushion into a utilization position. The disadvantage here is that once again, the footrest requires a relatively large amount of space in the stowed position and is relatively cumbersome to operate with less-comfortable support for the seat occupant.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle seat that may be of compact configuration, may offer comfortable support of the legs and feet, and may be easy to operate.
The above and other beneficial objects of the present invention may be achieved by providing a vehicle seat as described herein.
According to an example embodiment, the vehicle seat has a footrest with footplate that is positioned at the lower end of a lower-leg support. The lower-leg support may have a padded resting surface for supporting the lower legs of a seat occupant. The footplate is foldable about a rotation axis extending transversely to the lower-leg support, so that it is pivotable from a stowed position located approximately parallel to the lower-leg support into a utilization position located approximately perpendicular to the lower-leg support. In the stowed position, the footrest may require very little space. In the utilization position, the footrest offers comfortable support and bracing for the seat occupant""s feet. For simple and convenient operation, the footrest may have an energy storage device that is charged as the footplate is folded out from the stowed position.
Provision is made for the footplate to have a snap-lock apparatus and for it to be able to snap-lock in the utilization position. The snap-lock apparatus retains the footplate against the force of the energy storage device. After the snap-lock apparatus is released, it automatically pivots into the stowed position as the energy storage device discharges. The result may be simple operation of the footplate. At the same time, the footplate may require little physical volume in the stowed position.
The footplate is connected to a lower-leg support that may be adjusted in automatically driven fashion. Provision is made for adjusting the length and/or tilt of the lower-leg support in automatically driven fashion. The lower-leg support may be moved steplessly by a drive from the stowed position into a utilization position and back. By adjustment of the length and/or tilt of the lower-leg support, the position of the footrest may be adapted to the seat occupant""s body dimensions and/or to the desired utilization position.
In an example embodiment, provision is made for the snap-lock apparatus to have an overload protector. It may be configured in overrunnable fashion. For example, if the folded-out footplate comes into contact with an obstacle as the lower-leg support is being adjusted, the snap-lock apparatus may be overrun and the energy storage device may fold the footplate back into the stowed position. This may prevent inadvertent trapping of or damage to objects and/or vehicle occupants.
In order to reduce the risk of injury in a crash, provision is made for the footplate to have a defined break point. This may be located at the connection to the lower-leg support. If the seat occupant""s feet strike the footplate with a great deal of force as a result of a crash, the footplate may then yield and/or break off at the defined break point before the feet are injured.
In an example embodiment, provision is made for the footplate to be covered with a upholstery material and/or carpet, and/or to be padded or to have an insert made of upholstery material and/or carpet, so that the feet are comfortably supported. The footplate may thereby be integrated into the design of the interior and may have a pleasant appearance. At the same time, the footplate is padded by the upholstery material and/or carpet so that the feet are comfortably supported.
It is possible to use the vehicle seat according to the present invention in passenger cars, in buses, and in watercraft or rail vehicles, etc. Use of the vehicle seat according to the present invention as a comfortable passenger seat in aircraft is also provided for.
Further features and example embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the Figures. The features and feature combinations described above and described below are usable not only in the particular combination indicated but also in other combinations or in isolation, without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Further example embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in and explained with reference to the Figures.